


here's to the hearts that ache

by wearealltalesintheend



Series: tomorrow there will be sun [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers is the best Mom friend, Brainy is learning to deal with his emotions, F/F, F/M, Humor, Implied Lena Luthor/Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers is a Terrible Liar, M/M, Minor Winn Schott Jr/Querl Dox, but its a learning curve okay, i mean everyone misses Winn, light angst? i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-05 20:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16818301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearealltalesintheend/pseuds/wearealltalesintheend
Summary: “Everything okay?”“Yes, yes, of course, Director Danvers,” he says, but his hands fumble, knocking down a thankfully empty test tube, and they watch in silence as it rolls to the edge of the table and falls to the floor. By some miracle, it doesn’t shatter, only sadly swaying a little before stopping against one of the stools, and Brainy picks it up as if it personally offended him.Alex clears her throat, deciding to politely not acknowledge it."or, the one where Kara finds that things are always awkward when two of your friends break up, Brainy is surprisingly good at apologizing, and if everyone is going to keep being sad, walking disasters, Alex can't be blamed for going on full Mom mode.





	here's to the hearts that ache

**Author's Note:**

> okay i have one (1) line of dialogue I really want to write, so I accidentally wrote this before getting to that, oops!
> 
> anyway, I haven't seen the new episode yet because I'm not american so blease, for the love of god and Jeff Goldblum don't mention any spoilers much thank
> 
> anyway:

“Are you sure we should be doing this at the DEO?” Kara asks for the fourth time. Not that Alex blames her, Colonel Haley really is out here doing her absolute best to make their lives more difficult, after all, but it’s fine this time. The idea of having one of her  _ human  _ agents fighting aliens on the future is like Christmas coming early for her– and isn’t that just the kicker, because Alex  _ is  _ so proud of Winn, but it feels so, so fundamentally wrong to agree on something with Colonel Haley. 

But that’s a concern for another time. Right now, she gives her sister a tight smile, “yes, Supergirl,” she glances at the Colonel’s closed door, just in case, “it’s fine. We’ll record it quick and then Brainy will send it to the future. She won’t even notice.”

“I’m just saying,” Kara makes a face, looking at James for support, and then frowning when she sees the man is busy making puppy eyes at Lena.  _ God,  _ Alex really doesn’t want to know what’s going on there. “We could’ve done this at your apartment. Without Colonel Scary breathing down our necks.”

“But all the equipment is already here,” Alex gestures the camera propped up on the table.  _ And Lena wouldn’t be there,  _ she wants to say, but she’s not entirely sure  _ why  _ Lena Luthor is here, she wasn’t exactly a friend of Winn’s, not beyond the odd experiment they worked together in the DEO. “And I’d have to be a good host and entertain you guys. I don’t have adult food in my apartment right now!”

“Why isn’t Kara here, by the way?” Lena interrupts, frowning at her phone and then at Alex like Alex is somehow personally responsible for Kara not answering her calls. “Wasn’t Winn one of her best friends? I would think she’d want to be here.”

“Right! Of course!” Kara squeals, overdoing it in the way she only ever screws up when it comes to Lena Luthor. If it were anyone else, Alex would just yell at Kara to hurry up and tell her, but, well. A Luthor is a Luthor, and Alex would do anything to keep Kara safe. Even watch her flounder for a convincing enough lie like the world’s worst liar. “She would have loved nothing more than to be here, but– work! She said she had an interview. A very important, very exclusive interview, right, James? You know, Kara’s super important story?”

James Olsen isn’t that much better of a liar. He chokes on his coffee, nearly spilling it on his shirt and tie, before nodding along. “Yes, that. It’s– she couldn’t miss it. The guy was very particular about the schedule, you know how it is. The timing was just… unfortunate.”

“Well,” Lena blinks, her eyebrows furrowing in what Alex hopes is not suspicion, “there is no helping it, then. I just found it not very much like her to miss on this, but I suppose with our current situation– we are all stretched thin.”

“Yeah, we’re all doing the best we can,” Alex smiles what she thinks might have come out more of a grimace, but as Lena said, there’s no helping it. “But Kara already recorded a message. It’ll be sent along this one.”

“Where’s Brainy?” Kara asks loudly, probably aiming for nonchalance and missing it by a mile, “shouldn’t he be here by now?”

James makes a noise of agreement, but it’s clear his heart isn’t in it, and he seems one lingering look away from trying to talk with Lena again. Lena, for her part, seems just as distracted, but Alex would bet anything that the vacant look on her eyes has nothing to do with heartbreak.

Alex would know, she learned a great deal about heartbreak this past year.

“I’ll go see what’s taking him so long,” she tells them, earnest to escape the awkwardness polluting the room like a dark cloud, “he’s probably working on something and forgot about the time.”

“That does happen a lot,” Kara agrees, hopping in one of the workbenches, even as she knows it sends, strangely, both Brainy and Colonel Haley on spiels about work ethics and the dangers of ignoring safety protocols in science labs. “Does he have a phone yet? Did anyone give him a phone yet? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him use one–”

Alex leaves her sister still babbling in the lab, shaking her head to try and clear her thoughts from all the drama there. She really doesn’t want to know, she’s got enough on her plate as it is without worrying about  _ Kara’s  _ friends’ problems too. 

She looks for Brainy first on his room, although she’s not sure why, because he’s never there more than he strictly needs to. Well, she wouldn’t want to spend more time than necessary if her room were the tiny, standard DEO quarters– they really need to convince him to find something better. She thinks he might be digging his heels about it because getting a place of his own means accepting he’s here for a long time, but it’s hard to say when he keeps talking her into looping arguments to get out of the conversation. 

You know what, Kara is right. She doesn’t think they got him a cell phone yet. That’s a good place to start.

“Hello, Winslow,” Brainy’s voice is drifting from one of the labs– the one he set up camp in for his personal experiments and Alex pretends she doesn’t know about– and it’s only hearing Winn’s name that makes her keep quiet, sneaking closer to get a better look inside. “We have received your recording– it was quite clever. I admit it took me a while to figure out how you did it. By the time I am recording this, you will have already landed on Earth, so I hope this tape finds you alive and well.”

Alex can see only Brainy’s profile, with his hands clasped behind his back and his shoulders tense in a tight line. He couldn’t look more uncomfortable if he tried. But why would Brainy record something alone when he's clearly embarrassed– 

“I– the reason I am doing this before everyone else gets here,” he continues and Alex holds back a snort. “Is that being here in this century has given me some free time. And reflecting on our past interactions, I have come to realize I had not apologized to you before.”

_Oh._ Alex has a feeling this really is something she should not be seeing, but when she tries to back away, she steps in the creaky tile and now if she moves, Brainy will know she’s here eavesdropping and he’ll be so upset, and then Kara and Lena will be upset, so James will be upset, and _Alex_ herself will be upset– so she stays put. For the greater good.

“In the past, I have said rude things to you in particular, and although they were said in times of frustration and high levels of stress, therefore empty of any real meaning, I should have apologized sooner,” Brainy clears his throat, “so, I am sorry, Winn.”

This might be the first time Alex heard the words  _ I’m sorry  _ come out of his mouth, does  _ Winn  _ know how big of a deal this is?

“Everyone here seems to be under the impression I do not believe you to be capable for the mission,” a pause. Brainy scoffs, “as if I would have chosen you if I did not think otherwise. But, as the majority of the people in this century is under this ludicrous concept, I thought it would be best to clear this up.” Another pause, longer, heavier. And when he speaks again, his voice is softer, quieter, “I could have chosen anyone in this Universe, from any period of time, and yet, I could think of no one more suited for the task, than you, Winslow. I do hope you can find it in you to forgive me for not telling all of this in person, it is one of my regrets to not have done so before you left.”

The camera beeps once, a red light blinking into existence, and Brainy seems to startle. “Oh, I believe time has run out. I ask you to pass along my regards to the others Legionnaires, I trust you will easily fit in with them. And tell them I would like you returned in perfect condition, I know they can be a bit… overwhelming at times. And please, do be careful, Winslow.”

Alex watches as Brainy waves his goodbyes and moves to turn off the camera, handling the tiny round thing with more care than she’s ever seen. He hesitates for a second, stuffing it gently in one of his pockets.

He’s coming her way soon, she realizes. So, making as much noise as possible, Alex strides towards the lab, knocking on the door. Inside, Brainy is composed as ever, tidying up his desk for something to do. She pokes her head in, smiling gently, “everything okay?”

“Yes, yes, of course, Director Danvers,” he says, but his hands fumble, knocking down a thankfully empty test tube, and they watch in silence as it rolls to the edge of the table and falls to the floor. By some miracle, it doesn’t shatter, only swaying a little before stopping against one of the stools, and Brainy picks it up as if it personally offended him.

Alex clears her throat, deciding to politely not acknowledge it. “In that case, everyone’s waiting for you.”

“Oh, I apologize,” he looks around, checking if he forgot anything, “I lost track of time. Shall we go then?”

“Lead the way,” Alex lets him stride past her, head held purposefully high, all of the hesitations from earlier gone without a trace. She follows, closing the door behind her, and wonders if she might have to talk to him about it after all. 

*

When they arrive back upstairs, Kara and the others are sitting in uncomfortable silence. Lena is in one corner, typing on her phone, and James is on the opposite side looking out the glass doors. In the middle, Kara is still sitting on the workbench, dangling her legs like a child and doing a mildly good job on pretending she’s not itching to check her own phone.

All in all, it’s better than what Alex had been expecting.

“You’re here!” Kara says, too loud for the previously silent room, grinning brightly, and Alex can hear the relief in her voice, “let’s do this, guys!”

It sets off everyone in motion, Lena waving Brainy hello with a smile and James clapping him in the back, while Alex nudges her sister down from the metal table. “So, this looked fun.”

“You have no idea,” Kara grimaces, whispering back, “I don’t know how to help them. Everything’s so  _ awkward _ .”

“Maybe,” Alex says slowly, carefully choosing her next words, “sometimes, it’s best to let things run their course.”

“But they are  _ both  _ my friends and it sucks to see them hurting–”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“It’s okay to think about yourself too,” Alex knocks their shoulders, shaking her head at the way Kara wrinkles her nose in confusion, “let them figure it out on their own, is what I’m saying. Maybe that’s something they need to do.”

“Maybe,” Kara echoes, doubtful, then shakes herself, as if that could banish the problem for good. “Anyway. Are we doing this or not? Brainy, how’s it going with the camera?”

“It’s ready,” Brainy calls from behind the tangled mess of wires connecting the tiny camera to the DEO computers. “We can start whenever you wish.”

“Well, then,” Lena stands up, dusting herself off and straightening her skirt from imaginary wrinkles, “we should begin, if everyone’s here?”

“Yeah,” Alex agrees, making a quick headcount. “We’re all here, let’s do it.”

There’s a small commotion because it’s them and they have never been good at not making a mess of things, but it only makes it more, Alex thinks. She hopes Winn pictures this– Kara trying to organize them in the best possible way for the video, Brainy taking offense at being called short, James laughing for the first time since he got there, Lena smiling in a way that doesn’t look sad and not holding herself a the edge of things like she always does– when he sees the tape. 

The click of the camera signals the beginning of the recording, and they all start talking at once, speaking over themselves, before bursting into laughter. Alex grins, feeling lighter and happier in this snapshot of a moment than in this entire week.

And she hopes Winn sees that the empty space among them where he’d fit right in is still here waiting for him.

**Author's Note:**

> hey you made it! if you liked it, maybe leave a kudo or a comment? Those seriously make my day!
> 
> or, you can come talk to me on [my tumblr](http://rad-hoodd.tumblr.com/)
> 
> and hey? thanks.


End file.
